Forget Ibrahima Konate, another Liverpool player now has to get more scrutiny - opinion
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Ibrahima Konate has taken a lot of flak at the start of the season, but he was by far and away one of the better players against Inter Milan.The Reds’ win in the Champions League has come at the perfect time, with things looking like they had hit rock bottom.But during a tough start to the week, the players stepped up and proved a point, with Konate one of those who had his best game in a long time.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images 👇 Join the debate; share your insight.
Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say However, not everyone has impressed, with it starting to become a common theme for one player that he is levels below the rest.In fact, it is starting to become a huge worry, with there simply being no more excuses that can be made.Alexander Isak still looks way off the paceAlexander Isak came in with expectations higher than most, with everyone believing that he will be unstoppable in this Liverpool team.Due to the pre-season he had, or lack of one in his case, he was cut a lot of slack as this is vital to any player’s development, but now he really does not have an excuse.Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty ImagesHe is 14 games into the season and is still not at the level he needs to be, this being in terms of fitness and ability on the ball.After just 45 minutes against Inter, Stephen Warnock spotted that he looked out on his feet already, something that is inexcusable given how many training sessions he has had.“I’m watching Isak at the moment and he looks shattered. That is what happens when you miss pre-season,” he said as per BBC Sport.Unfortunately for Isak, he is now out of excuses and should be judged fairly, with the Swede needing to come alive sooner rather than later, if not, he will start to come under even heavier fire, but it would be justifiable.
Liverpool’s new system should suit Alexander Isak better How does Arne Slot get the best out of Alexander Isak going forward? 🤔 Credit: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images 👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Although he was more often than not the lone striker at Newcastle, he struggles against teams that play a low block, which most seem to do against the Reds.This is one of the reasons why Arne Slot decided to play him upfront alongside Hugo Ekitike, with the pair of them, in time, hopefully able to form a formidable partnership.It should allow them to both link up with one another a lot more easily and feel less isolated, which it did in spells at the San Siro.Of course, it was not perfect but it is the first time they have tried it, with this hopefully enabling Isak to look more like the £125m striker they thought they had signed.